It is said that the Apple Car may be officially released in 2024, and that it will be equipped with “next level” battery technology. According to an inside source, the Apple Car will be as revolutionary as the first iPhone.
Recently, there have been many rumors about the Apple Car. According to Apple’s Taiwanese suppliers, it is expected to be released in 2021. However, a number of foreign media outlets have recently cited sources saying that the Apple Car will actually not be unveiled until 2024.
Apple’s car project, codenamed Project Titan, has been an open secret since 2014. In 2017, Tim Cook officially admitted that there has been a team working on vehicle-related research. At that time, many people assumed that Apple would focus on self-driving and human-machine integration instead of making a car.
Interestingly, in the past three years, Apple has acquired vehicle-related patents, including those for self-driving, smart sunshade glasses, anti-side impact doors and smart windshield wipers. Therefore, we believe that Apple is actually serious about the development of the Apple Car.
One of the major turning points for the development of the Apple car happened in 2018, when Apple hired Doug Field, an employee from Tesla, to change the entire project from self-driving to creating electric cars. In order to do so, they greatly reorganized, and 190 members were laid off from work.
To create electric cars, the battery’s technology is key. It determines the performance and cost of electric cars. According to the latest report from Reuters, a person who worked on Apple’s Project Titan has commented that the battery designed by Apple is “next level, like the first time you saw the iPhone.”
Apple Car’s battery may adopt a “monocell” design, and its concept is similar to Tesla’s integrated battery. By integrating the battery into the body of the car, the space in the module and support structure can be saved. Thus, more space inside the car can be created and more batteries can be put in. It is worth noting that Apple has successfully done this before on mobile phones and NBs.
The LFP battery may also be adopted. Some powers may be sacrificed to increase safety. Then, with the “monocell” design, more battery cells can be used to increase endurance.
According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the Apple Car may be released in 2023-2025. Recently, it has been rumored that Apple is also looking to work with TSMC for the development of its automotive chip.
If Apple really wants to release the Apple Car, it will obviously require a major assembly plant. Generally, if there are at least 100,000 orders per year, an assembly plant will be willing to cooperate. In Apple’s ecosystem, can you think of any major company that has automotive assembly experience?
If Apple really works on an automotive product, it will be highly integrated with the iOS ecosystem. This may also mean that some iPhone supply chains will receive orders from the Apple Car, including those for LiDar, lens, panels and chips. With regard to the motor component, further information will be needed to determine whether it will be given to Apple’s supply-chain partners in Taiwan.
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